Quiz to identify sleep apnea syndrome

Answering the questions below will help you to understand whether sleep apnea is disturbing your sleep and disrupting your life.

The questions in the very important questions list are especially important; a "yes" answer strongly suggests that sleep apnea is the problem. To answer some questions, you will need the help of your roommate, bedmate, or a family member, or you may use a tape recorder or video recorder to identify snoring and pauses in breathing.

Very important questions (short quiz)

Do you snore loudly each night?

Do you have frequent pauses in breathing while you sleep (you stop breathing for ten seconds or longer)?

Do you have headaches in the morning?

Are you very tired or sleepy during the day?

Do you fall asleep easily during the day?

During sleep and in the bedroom

Do you snore loudly each night?

Do you have frequent pauses in breathing while you sleep (you stop breathing for ten seconds or longer)?

Do you experience heartburn during sleep at least twice a week?

Are you restless during sleep, tossing and turning from one side to another?

Do you wake feeling that you are choking or suffocating?

Do you have some repetitive movement such as a jerk, or leg movements?

Does your posture during sleep seem unusual--do you sleep sitting up or propped up by pillows?

Do you have insomnia--waking up frequently and without an apparent reason?

Do you have to get up to urinate several times during the night?

Have you wet your bed?

Have you fallen from bed?

While awake

Do you wake up in the morning tired and foggy, not ready to face the day?

Do you have headaches in the morning?

Are you very tired or sleepy during the day?

Do you fall asleep easily during the day?

Do you nod off readily or fight to stay awake while driving?

Do you have difficulty concentrating, being productive, and completing tasks at work?

Do you carry out routine tasks in a daze?

Have you ever arrived home in your car but couldn't remember the trip from work?

Adjustment and emotional issues

Are you having serious relationship problems at home, with friends and relatives, or at work?

Are you afraid that you may be out of touch with the real world, unable to think clearly, losing your memory, or emotionally ill?

Do your friends tell you that you're not acting like yourself?

Do you feel like you are depressed? Do you feel overwhelmed by your life? Do you lack interest in your activities?

Are you irritable and angry, especially first thing in the morning?

Medical, physical condition, and lifestyle

Are you overweight?

Do you have high blood pressure? Is it hard to control?

Do you have heart disease? Do you have difficulty controlling the symptoms with medication?

Do you have pains in your bones and joints?

Do you have trouble breathing through your nose?

Do you often have a drink of alcohol before going to bed?

Do you have a small chin and receding jaw?

If you are a man, is your collar size 17 inches (42 centimeters) or larger?

Have you been diagnosed with severe esophageal reflux?

Do you have family members or relatives who have sleep apnea?

What your answers may mean

A "yes" answer to
any
of these questions may be a clue that an underlying sleep disorder exists. This may be sleep apnea, another sleep disorder, or even a problem not related to sleep. Each of the questions points to a symptom. Symptoms are the clues, sometimes subtle and perceived only by the patient (such as memory loss), and sometimes overt and observable by friend or family (such as snoring), which indicate that the mind or body is diseased. Your doctor, trained to see symptoms as the manifestation of disease, can help you interpret and understand the basis of your condition.

What can I do about sleep apnea?

How can I be sure if I do---or don't have it?

See your doctor or go to a professional in sleep disorders

The purpose of this quiz is to make you aware of possible apnea. You
might have some other medical or emotional condition, or even some other sleep
disorder. You might even have sleep apnea and not have answered "yes" to any of
the questions; some people have apnea but don't snore, for example.

No quiz or questionnaire alone should be the basis for diagnosing a
medical condition. You should talk about the results of this quiz with your
primary care physician. This quiz can help in your talk because each question
points to a sign or symptom which is often found in connection with sleep
apnea. After ruling out other possible medical problems, your doctor may
suggest you have an evaluation at a sleep laboratory or with a professional
trained in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders.

You can find it useful to read about sleep apnea so that you can
communicate effectively with your physician and understand your treatment
options. This quiz is based on a handbook which is used by thousands of
professionals as well as patients. Phantom of the Night: Overcome sleep
apnea syndrome and snoring combines the viewpoints of a pulmonologist who
is a specialist in sleep disorders and a patient with sleep apnea to explain
how to understand sleep apnea, obtain a diagnosis, and succeed with treatment.

Learn more about sleep apnea and snoring so you can get effective
treatment

Do you wonder how such a wide variety of symptoms can be caused by the
same disorder? The symptoms indicated by the questionaire are explained in this
book.

Depression and a number of other symptoms of sleep apnea can have a
severe impact on health, well being, relationships, and economic success.
To learn more, you can read Sleep Apnea--the Phantom of the Night to
appreciate the importance of getting effective treatment for apnea.
The information in this book will help you obtain the diagnosis and
treatment which can literally transform your life. And you will learn
the importance of protecting yourself against some of the dangers faced
by persons with sleep apnea---like avoiding accidents caused by falling
asleep while driving; or life-threatening medical emergencies that can
be brought on by anesthesia or other treatments and procedures. And
you will have information that gives you access to resources---like
support and education groups for persons with sleep apnea and their
families. Finally, this handbook can be your guide to making sure your
treatment is effective and put you in control of restoring your life
to health and well-being.

TO ORDER Sleep Apnea--the Phantom of the Night.

Mail your contact information: name, address, billing address/shipping
address, phone, email, how you learned of this book (be sure to
mention the title "Phantom of the Night", send this
information with your check or money order: List price is $40.00. The prepaid discount $7.00; your cost is
$33.00 plus $7.00 shipping for a total of $40.00.NOTE: If your shipping address is in Massachusetts, please
add the 5% sales tax on $33.00 which is $1.65 for a total of $38.50.

ISBN 1-882431-05-7 Available
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Quantity discounts are available. To order from outside the United
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Disclaimer

Our publications (online, email, print, or any other communications or phone
contacts) do not provide medical advice or a professional service. No one including
the publisher, editors, editorial advisors, or the authors of any material in
this site is engaged in providing any medical or professional advice or services
through the publication, distribution or sale of articles, books, materials,
tests or quizzes, on this site or in communications by phone, email, or any
other means. Persons with suspected or diagnosed sleep apnea syndrome or any
sleep disorder or other condition including COPD discussed in this site should
consult with a physician and other qualified professionals for advice concerning
their own treatment.